Little Christmas traditions that you'll never change

S

straightatthewall

Well-known member
I know that Christmas TV isn't the same 'Event TV' that it used to be and I can't really remember the last time the family all sat down to watch something 'live', but I still buy the double edition of the Radio Times every year. In fact, I actually look forward to buying it.

On the general topic, I saw a good 'nostalgia' link on FB the other week, showing the BBC's advert for Christmas Day TV in 1988. Xmas Day TOTP (would have been shit with Cliff at number 1), the Queen (never been shown again as she 'blacked up' for the speech), Back to the Future premiere (when you were genuinely excited by a TV premiere) followed by OFAH 'Dates' (when Del first meets Raquel). Some good watching there.
 
Boxing Day match. Can't remember not going to one. We were called off one year at Stockport so I called in at Burnden Park for Bolton v Sunderland instead on the way home.
 
straightatthewall said:
I know that Christmas TV isn't the same 'Event TV' that it used to be and I can't really remember the last time the family all sat down to watch something 'live', but I still buy the double edition of the Radio Times every year. In fact, I actually look forward to buying it.

On the general topic, I saw a good 'nostalgia' link on FB the other week, showing the BBC's advert for Christmas Day TV in 1988. Xmas Day TOTP (would have been shit with Cliff at number 1), the Queen (never been shown again as she 'blacked up' for the speech), Back to the Future premiere (when you were genuinely excited by a TV premiere) followed by OFAH 'Dates' (when Del first meets Raquel). Some good watching there.
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Yep get the RT every week and after keep seeing their offer of buy the first 12 weeks for a quid and then pay six monthly or something like that we now get it delivered too.
 
20togo said:
Yep get the RT every week and after keep seeing their offer of buy the first 12 weeks for a quid and then pay six monthly or something like that we now get it delivered too.
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Back in the day we used to go through it with a highlighter pen to mark what we were going to watch and what would need to be recorded. With Sky Q and more or less unlimited recording, plus streaming and the iPlayer, it's just not the same.
 
Seem to remember Burnley getting called off on Boxing Day - we were delighted and stayed in The Dunes.

😂😂😂😂😂😂
 
Being an exile with a family, I haven't been able to do a Boxing Day game for years. I think the last one I did was to take step son #1 to watch Chelsea v Swansea as someone at work gave me a couple of free tickets and the boy supports Chelsea. It's something I do miss actually. Boxing Day feels wrong without going to a game. Should have added that there's usually a game I could go and watch, but I don't really like being a neutral. If I'm going, I want to see the Mighty.
 
straightatthewall said:
Being an exile with a family, I haven't been able to do a Boxing Day game for years. I think the last one I did was to take step son #1 to watch Chelsea v Swansea as someone at work gave me a couple of free tickets and the boy supports Chelsea. It's something I do miss actually. Boxing Day feels wrong without going to a game. Should have added that there's usually a game I could go and watch, but I don't really like being a neutral. If I'm going, I want to see the Mighty.
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Fixtures won't suit as it's always going to be a local game whether home or away.
 
20togo said:
Yep we always buy a big pork pie but we have that much other food that sometimes a fair bit of it ends in the bin.
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That's another thing that you miss out on down here. The only shops that sell pork pies, that I know of are supermarkets and they're not a patch on anything you can get up there.
 
Bacon sandwiches mid morning (Veggie ones for Missy FC).

I always make and light the fire in the front room, even if it's fairly mild, for when Batch One of the pressies get opened.
 
Yep, Radio Times here as well, even though everything is already on the TV guide/remote for a week ahead
Still use the same Christmas Stockings/pillow cases for the kids gifts, they're 26 and 24
Try to get to Pool's Boxing Day game, but sadly not this year because my lad is working (care sector)
Pork pie and gammon joint from a local butcher
Baileys (for the other half and the mother in law)
Only meal of the year I eat sprouts. Drink too much (helps drown the sprout taste)
Chinese takeaway on Christmas eve
 
straightatthewall said:
Xmas Day TOTP (would have been shit with Cliff at number 1), the Queen (never been shown again as she 'blacked up' for the speech)...
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Well spotted although I think she guested in the Black and White Minstrels Show a few years later
I remember the Spike Milligan 'Pakistani Daleks' sketch one Chrimbo evening on BBC2-definitely alternative TV viewing.
I'm surprised given the need to be wholly inclusive they haven't reintroduced it in the new series.
 
No special rituals here. Christmas IMO is for kids. Watching them come downstairs and getting their presents is the absolute highlight and then spending the rest of the morning with my mini screwdriver set and batteries.

The rest of Christmas is pretty banal. Nowt on TV and everything shut. A walk is about the highlight of the rest of the day. We're a pretty happy bunch so don't seek any "forced" family fun or absurd Victorian food stuffs.
 
straightatthewall said:
I know that Christmas TV isn't the same 'Event TV' that it used to be and I can't really remember the last time the family all sat down to watch something 'live', but I still buy the double edition of the Radio Times every year. In fact, I actually look forward to buying it.

On the general topic, I saw a good 'nostalgia' link on FB the other week, showing the BBC's advert for Christmas Day TV in 1988. Xmas Day TOTP (would have been shit with Cliff at number 1), the Queen (never been shown again as she 'blacked up' for the speech), Back to the Future premiere (when you were genuinely excited by a TV premiere) followed by OFAH 'Dates' (when Del first meets Raquel). Some good watching there.
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Cheesy Footballs. Yum.
 
nameless said:
Well spotted although I think she guested in the Black and White Minstrels Show a few years later
I remember the Spike Milligan 'Pakistani Daleks' sketch one Chrimbo evening on BBC2-definitely alternative TV viewing.
I'm surprised given the need to be wholly inclusive they haven't reintroduced it in the new series.
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Put it in the curry?
 
A couple of pints in the pub. Obviously didn’t do it last year . It’s good to see friends who you don’t see very often. Dads and sons having a drink together when normally they wouldn’t want to be with the old man”
 
Dave62 said:
Yep, Radio Times here as well, even though everything is already on the TV guide/remote for a week ahead
Still use the same Christmas Stockings/pillow cases for the kids gifts, they're 26 and 24
Try to get to Pool's Boxing Day game, but sadly not this year because my lad is working (care sector)
Pork pie and gammon joint from a local butcher
Baileys (for the other half and the mother in law)
Only meal of the year I eat sprouts. Drink too much (helps drown the sprout taste)
Chinese takeaway on Christmas eve
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Sprouts are for life, not just Christmas 🌬️🌪️ I love them 😀
 
Always looked forward to Top of the Pops on Christmas Day and still watch it with my first beer of the day.
Poor quality these days though.
 
Watch some old films. Watched The Dickens short AGAIN last night, The Signalman. Not seen The Railway Children for a while either, or North West Frontier, notice the trend 🚂🚃
 
Sooty59 said:
Sprouts are for life, not just Christmas 🌬️🌪️ I love them 😀
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me too. We more often than not have a roast beef sunday dinner and it's always with sprouts. Prefer lamb actually but the missus cooks for her mum and dad and he's not a lamb lover. I know my place when it comes to family.🤥🙁
 
Hate sprouts but have a couple on my Xmas dinner every year. Eat them first, washed down with gulps of lager to take the taste away and then I can enjoy the rest of my dinner!
 
Wizaard said:
Boxing Day match. Can't remember not going to one. We were called off one year at Stockport so I called in at Burnden Park for Bolton v Sunderland instead on the way home.
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In the Premier League season we were meant to have Liverpool at home on Boxing Day but it was postponed due to a frozen pitch
 
I used to love the old BBC2 ghost stories over Christmas. Occasionally they repeat them - always an atmospheric watch.
 
I always give my hubby and kids their Xmas presents on Xmas morning then I hold one special Xmas present back for each of them to open at the dinner table.
 
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